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>> a live look at the senate on this january 3, the opening of the 119th congress. a short time ago there was a brief session hope session help to official in the 118th. take you live now to the floor of the senate. senate in prayer. the chaplain: let us pray. our father in heaven, at a time when the dawning of the new year brings felicity and fear, we continue to acknowledge that you

are still the one who stretches out the starry curtain of the heavens. may your name be kept holy. as our incoming lawmakers swear today to protect and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies, foreign and domestic, may they also make a personal commitment to you to depend on your guidance that will keep their feet on the path you have chosen. lord, inspire them to strive always to do what is right, as

you give them the wisdom to discern it. mighty god, open your hands to bless their work, supplying their needs out of the bounty of your celestial riches. we pray in your majestic name. amen. the vice president: please join me in pledging allegiance to our flag. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible, with liberty and

justice for all. mr. schumer: madam president. the presiding officer: leader schumer. mr. schumer: i would just like to welcome our chaplain back. we're glad he's with us and in good health, and wish him and all of us a happy new year. the vice president: the chair lays before the senate the certificates of the election of 32 senators elected for six-year terms, beginning on january 3, 2025. all certificates, the chair is advised, are in the form suggested by the senate, or contain all the essential requirements of the form suggested by the senate. if there be no objection, the reading of the certificates will be waived, and they will be printed in full in the record. if the senators to be sworn will now present themselves at the

desk in groups of four as their names are called in alphabetical order, the chair will administer their oates of office -- their oaths of office. the chair will read the names of the first group. the clerk: ms. alsobrooks, ms. baldwin, mr. banks, mr. barrasso. the vice president: please raise your hand.

do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you are about to enter, so help you god? the senators: i do. the vice president: congratulations, senators.

the vice president: the clerk will call the next names of the next group, please. the clerk: mrs. blackburn, ms. blunt rochester, ms. cantwell, mr. cramer.

the vice president: please raise your right hand. do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you are about to enter, so help you god? the senators: i do. the vice president: congratulations, senators.

congratulations.

the vice president: the clerk will call the names of the next group. the clerk: mr. cruz, mr. curtis, mrs. fischer, mr. gallego.

the vice president: please raise your right hand. do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which you are about to enter, so help you god? the senators: i do. the vice president: congratulations, senators. congratulations.

the vice president: the clerk will call the names of the next group. the clerk: mrs. gillibrand, mr. hawley, mr. heinrich, ms. hirono. please raise your right hand. do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that you take this obligation

freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you are about to enter, so help you god? the senators: i do. the vice president: congratulations, senators.

the vice president: the clerk will call the names of the next group. the clerk: mr. kaine, mr. kim, mr. king, ms. klobuchar.

the vice president: please raise your right hand. do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you are about to enter, so help you god? the senators: i do. the vice president:

congratulations, senators.

the vice president: the clerk will call the next group. the names of the next group. the clerk: mr. mccormick, mr. moreno, in murphy, m ms. rosen.

-- mr. murphy, ms. rosen. the vice president: please raise your right hand. do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which you are about to enter, so help you god? the senators: i do. the vice president: congratulations, senators.

the vice president: the clerk will call the names of the next cloup. the clerk: mr. sanders, mr. schiff, mr. scott of florida, mr. sheehy.

the vice president: please raise your right hand. do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which you are about to enter, so help you god? the senators: i do. the vice president: congratulations, senators.

the vice president: the clerk will call the names of the next group. the clerk: ms. slotkin, ms. warren, mr. whitehouse, mr. wicker.

the vice president: please raise your right hand. do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which

you are about to enter, so help you god? the senators: i do. the vice president: congratulations, senators.

the vice president: the majority leader. mr. thune: i suggest the absence of a quorum. the vice president: the absence of a quorum having been -- the absence of a quorum having been suggested, the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: the clerk: ms. alsobrooks. ms. baldwin. mr. banks. mr. barrasso. mr. bennet. mrs. blackburn. mr. blumenthal. ms. blunt rochester. mr. booker. mr. boozman. mrs. britt. mr. budd. ms. cantwell. mrs. capito. mr. cassidy. ms. collins. mr. coons. mr. cornyn. ms. cortez masto.

mr. cotton. mr. cramer. mr. crapo. mr. cruz. mr. curtis. mr. daines. ms. duckworth. mr. durbin. ms. ernst. mr. fetterman. mrs. fischer. mr. gallego. mrs. gillibrand. mr. graham. mr. grassley. mr. hagerty. ms. hassan. mr. hawley. mr. heinrich. mr. hickenlooper. ms. hirono. mr. hoeven. mrs. hyde-smith. mr. johnson. mr. kaine.

mr. kelly. mr. kennedy. mr. kim. mr. king. ms. klobuchar. mr. lankford. mr. lee. mr. lujan. ms. lummis. mr. markey. mr. marshall. mr. mcconnell. mr. mccormick. mr. merkley. mr. moran. mr. moreno. mr. mullin. ms. murkowski. mr. murphy. mrs. murray. mr. ossoff. mr. padilla. mr. paul. mr. peters.

mr. reed. mr. ricketts. mr. risch. ms. rosen. mr. rounds. mr. rubio. mr. sanders. mr. schatz. mr. schiff. mr. schmitt. mr. schumer. mr. scott of florida. mr. scott of south carolina. mrs. shaheen. mr. sheehy. ms. slotkin. ms. smith. mr. sullivan. mr. thune. mr. tillis. mr. tuberville. mr. van hollen. mr. vance. mr. warner.

mr. warnock. ms. warren. mr. welch. mr. whitehouse. mr. wicker. mr. wyden.

the clerk: mr. young.

the vice president: a quorum is present. the vice president: a quorum is present. under the previous order, the leadership is reserved. the senate will be in a period offed morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. the majority leader will then begin calling up -- the majority leader. mr. thune: madam president, i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to consideration of s. res. 1, which was submitted earlier today. the vice president: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: s. res. 1, establishing a committee to inform the president of the united states that a quorum of each house is assembled. the vice president: is there an objection to proceeding to the measure?

without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. thune: madam president, i ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, that the motion to reconsider be considered madeland upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. the vice president: without objection. pursuant to senate resolution 1, the chair appoints the senator from south dakota and the senator from new york as a committee -- as a committee to join the committee on the part of the house of representatives to wait upon the president of the united states and inform him that a quorum is assembled and that congress is ready to receive any communication he may be pleased to make. mr. thune: madam president, i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to consideration of s. res. 2, which was submitted earlier today. the vice president: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: s. res. 2, informing the house of representatives that a quorum of the senate is assembled. the vice president: is there objection with the measure? without objection, the senate

will proceed to the measure. mr. thune: madam president, i ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. the vice president: without objection. mr. thune: madam president, i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the consideration of s. res. 3, which was submitted earlier today. the vice president: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: senate resolution 3, to elect charles e. grassley, a senator from the state of iowa, to be president pro tempore of the senate of the united states. the vice president: is there objection to proceeding to the measure? without objection, the senate will proceed. mr. thune: madam president, i ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. the vice president: without objection, if the senator from iowa will present himself at the desk, i will administer the oath of office.

raise your right hand, please. do you solemnly swear that the support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies foreign and come to sthashgs you will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, that you take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which you are about to enter, so help you god. mr. grassley: i do.

mr. thune: mr. president, i ask i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to consideration of s. res. 4, which was submitted earlier today. the president pro tempore: the clerk although report the resolution. the clerk: announcing the appointment of a president pro tempore. the president pro tempore: without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. thune: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. the president pro tempore: is there objection?

without objection, it's ordered. mr. thune: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to otoconsideration of s. res. 5, which was submitted earlier today. the president pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: s. res. 5, notifying the house of representatives of the election of a president pro tempore. the president pro tempore: is there objection to proceeding to the measure? without objection, the the will proceed to the measure. mr. thune: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. the president pro tempore: is there objection? without objection, so ordered. mr. schumer: mr. president. the president pro tempore: senate democratic leader. mr. schumer: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the consideration of s. res. 6, which was submitted earlier today.

the president pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: senate resolution 6, expressing the thanks of the senate to the honorable patty murray for her service as president pro tempore of the senate and to designate senator murray as president pro tempore erimita of the senate. the president pro tempore: is there objection to proceeding to the measure? without objection, the senate will proceed to this measure. mr. schumer: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. the president pro tempore: is there objection? without objection, so ordered. mr. thune: i ask that the senate proceed to the consideration of s. res. 7, which was submitted earlier today. the president pro tempore: the clerk will report. the clerk: fixing the hour of dale will meeting of the senate. the president pro tempore: is there objection trowing this measure? without objection, the senate

will proceed to this measure. mr. thune: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. the president pro tempore: is there objection? without objection, so ordered. mr. thune: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the consideration of s. con. res. 1, submitted earlier today. the president pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: senate concurrent resolution 1, extending the life of the joint congressional committee on inaugural ceremonies. the president pro tempore: is there objection to proceeding to the measure? without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. thune: mr. president, i i ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. the president pro tempore: is there objection? without objection, so ordered. mr. thune: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the consideration of s. con. res. 2, which was submitted earlier today.

the president pro tempore: the clerk will report the concurrent resolution. the clerk: senate concurrent resolution 2, to provide for the counting on january 6, 2025, of the electoral votes for president and vice president of the united states. the president pro tempore: is there objection proceeding to to the measure? without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. thune: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. the president pro tempore: is there objection? without objection, so ordered. the chair appoints the senator from nebraska, mrs. fischer; the senator from minnesota, senator klobuchar as teller of the electoral votes. mr. thune: i ask the senate proceed to s. res. 8 is submitted earlier today.

the president pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: senate resolution 8 op pointing -- appointing jackie barber as secretary of the senate. mr. thune: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. the president pro tempore: is there objection? without objection, so ordered. at this point, the secretary of the senate will present herself to the desk to take the oath of office. the president pro tempore: do you solemnly swear that you will support and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that you

bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that you take this obligation freely, without nen talling reservation or purpose of invasion and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which you're about to enter, so help you god. secretary of the senate:i do. mr. thune: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the consideration of s. res. 9 of which was submitted earlier today. the president pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: senate resolution 9, notifying the president of the united states of the election of the secretary of the senate. the president pro tempore: is there objection to proceeding to the measure?

without objection, the senate will proceed. mr. thune: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: is there objection? the president pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. thune: i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to s. res. 10. the president pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: senate resolution 10 notifying the house of representatives of the election of the secretary of the senate. the president pro tempore: is there objection to proceeding to the measure? without objection, the senate will so proceed. mr. thune: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. the president pro tempore: is there objection? without objection, so ordered. mr. thune: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the consideration of s. res. 11 which was is submitted earlier today. the president pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution.

the clerk: senate resolution 11 electing jennifer a. hemmingway as sergeant at arms and doorkeeper of the senate. the president pro tempore: without objection, the senate will proceed. mr. thune: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. the president pro tempore: is there objection? without objection, so ordered. mr. thune: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the consideration of s. res. 12 which was submitted earlier today. the president pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: senate resolution 12 notifying the president of the united states of the election of a sergeant at arms and doorkeeper of the senate. the president pro tempore: is there objection to proceeding to this measure? without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. thune: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. the president pro tempore: is there objection? without objection, so ordered. mr. thune: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the consideration of

senate res. 13 submitted earlier today. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: senate resolution 13 notifying the house of representatives of the election of the sergeant at arms and doorkeeper of the senate. the president pro tempore: is there objection to proceeding to this measure? without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. thune: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. the president pro tempore: is there objection? without objection, so ordered. mr. thune: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the consideration of s. res. 14 which was submitted earlier today. the president pro tempore: the clerk will report this resolution. the clerk: senate resolution 14, electing robert n. duncan of the district of columbia as secretary for the majority of the senate. the president pro tempore: is there objection to proceeding to the measure? without objection, the senate will proceed to the measure. mr. thune: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be

considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. the president pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. schumer: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the consideration of s. res. 15 which was submitted earlier today. the president pro tempore: the clerk will report the resolution. the clerk: senate resolution 15 electing gary e. myrick of virginia as secretary for the minority of the senate. the president pro tempore: is there objection to proceeding to the measure? without objection, the senate will proceed. mr. schumer: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. the president pro tempore: is there objection? without objection, so ordered. mr. thune: i send 11 unanimous consent requests and i ask for their immediate consideration en bloc. i further ask that the request be agreed to en bloc and they

appear separately in the record. before the chair acts on my request, i would like to point out that these requests are routine and done at the beginning of each new congress. the president pro tempore: is there objection to agreeing to the unanimous consent request en bloc? and without objection, so ordered. mr. thune: mr. president, before i begin my remarks, i want to mention the very well deadly terrorist attack that took place it in new orleans in the early hours of new year's day. this isis inspired attack took the lives of 14 innocent victims and injured at least 30 others. my prayers today along with the prayers of so many americans are with all those grieving the loss of a loved one and with the injured and their families. in vegas, law enforcement agents are working around the clock to

understand the motivation of an army soldier who blew up a tesla truck in front much a trump hotel on the same day. we expect our federal, state, and local law enforcement to pursue every lead so that the american people understand what led to both of these attacks. mr. president, i also want to mention the passing of former president jimmy carter who died peacefully on december 29 at his home in georgia at the age of 100. he was governor of georgia, president of the united states, but was perhaps even better known for the work tlae did after -- that he did after leaving office to promote peace and help those in need most notably through his decades-long work with habitat for humanity. i will have much more to say about president carter next week but today i want to extend condolences and prayers to his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren as they mourn their father and

great-grandfather. i want to welcome members to the 119th congress particularly those freshmen senators who took the oath of office this morning. congratulations to the new secretary of the senate, a greatly south dakotan and new snalt sergeant at arms -- new senate sergeant at arms. ism grateful for their service. the words of the oath which we hear at the start of each new congress are a reminder of the profound responsibility with which we have been trusted, and that is to support and defend the constitution of the united states. 237 years ago representatives from the states gathered together in philadelphia, pennsylvania, and produced something essentially unique in human history -- a blueprint for our new country founded on history, not on history or conquest, but on a set of ideas. it was not a perfect document, as even our founders attested by making provisions for amendments, but it was and remains one of the greatest and

most important political documents in the history of the world. it has made us as a country, it has made us a country that people around the world look to as a beacon of freedom, a shining city on a hill. it is the solemn responsibility of those of us here in congress to preserve our constitution, to guard it against enemies both foreign and domestic, and to ensure that it continues to stand so that our nation continues to stand as a bulwark of freedom and human rights. mr. president, when it came time to draft the constitution, the founders established safeguards, checks and balances, throughout our government keep the government in check and ensure the rights of all americans were protected. one of those safeguards was the united states senate. in discussion of the senate in t "the federalist" 62 the author notes, distinct from and providing power with a first, must be in all cases a salutary

check on the government. it doubles the security to the people by requiring the concurrence of two distinct bodies in schemes of usurpation or perfidy. as the improbability of sinister p combinations will be in proportion of the dissimilarity of the genius of the bodies it must be politic to distinguish them from each other by every circumstance which will consist with the due harmony and all proper measures and with a gin win principles of republican government. end quote. and the founders did indpeed distinguish the house from the -- indeed distinguish the house from the senate. it made the senate smaller and senators terms of office longer with the intention of creating a moral thoughtful, more deliberative legislative body to check ill considered or intemperate legislation and protect the rights of the american people. as the past 237 years attest, it

is a structure that has served this nation well. unfortunately today there are a lot of people out there who would like to see the senate turn into a copy of the house of representatives. and that, mr. president, is not what our founders intended or what our country needs. one of my priorities as leader will be to ensure that the senate stays the senate. that means preserving the legislative filibuster. the senate rule that today perhaps has the greatest impact on preserving the founders' vision of the united states senate. it also means restoring the senate as a place of discussion and deliberation. that includes empowering committees, restoring regular order and engaging in extended debate on the senate floor where all members should have a chance to make their voices and voices of constituents heard. we have a lot to do in this congress. border secure, extending tax relief republicans delivered

during the first trump administration, providing for our nation's defense in an increasingly unstable world, bringing appropriations bills to the floor for serious deliberations so we make the best possible use of taxpayer dollars, an overdue farm bill to update farm programs for farmer and ranchers to reflect current agriculture needs. mr. president, the list goes on. mr. president, in past years i've listened to speeches delivered by leaders welcoming the new congress and discussing the agenda for coming months. i now find myself in the position of delivering that speech. republican lg colleagues trusted me to lead our part in the senate in the next congress and i will work every day to be worthy of that trust. my philosophy of leadership comes from my dad. he was a basketball coach at our high school and had very strong opinions about the right way to play. sports to him was not billion

personal glory -- was not about personal glory. it was about elevating the team. he hated ball hogs. if someone else was in a better position to take the shot you always made the extra pass. you have didn't try to pad your own statistics. it's an attitude which i've tried to carry with me throughout my life. it's an attitude i intend to carry with me to the leader office. my job is to be of service to my colleagues and to our country. mr. president, i'm here today addressing the senate in this role combauftd my colleagues -- because of the confidence my colleagues placed in me but i'm here first of all because of the confidence placed in me by the people of south dakota. without the trust given me i would not have had the opportunity to serve at all, much less have had the opportunity to serve as the majority leader of the united states senate. my first priority here in congress is always, always to serve the people of my state. mr. president, i grew up in a small town in south dakota, the

town of myrtle, population today roughly around 500 people. we didn't even have a traffic light when i was growing up there and i wouldn't have had it any other way. life in myrtle had a beautiful simplicity. sure it had one or two drawbacks. with a population that small we thune kids could be sure that our parents would have heard all about any of our misdemeanors before we even made it home. but small town was wonderful. we had a sense of community and belonging that we carry to this day. i remember the day i told my mom i was going to run for congress. she was excited, obviously and confidently told me, i know that you'll carry myrtle. in myrtle i learned the character of south dakotans, the work ethic coupled with the

relief of responsibility to the broader community. growing up we knew that if a roof collapsed under the weight of snow or a wind storm came through or lost a friend or family member, the whole community would help. that same attitude is reflected in towns across our state. this helped to shape my belief that government should be limited and that it's best when it's closest to the people. if a matter can be handled at the state or local level, it should be. that the legacy of the past is something to be cherished and preserved while leaving room for change and adaptation when needed. freedom is a sacred gift, one that must be defended and that with freedom comes responsibility. finally, while government is necessary, government is not where we should look for

salvation. mr. president, none of us gets where we are alone. and i owe thanks to many people. to my parents, pat and harold, who gave us thune kids undying love and commitment, and the most precious gift of all, faith. to my brothers and sister, to my beloved wife kimberly who is here with me today. let he say, i married up. i'm grateful for her support and her endless patience, it's not easy to be married to a member of congress. it's not easy to have a member of congress for a dad. i'm grateful for the support of my daughters brittany and larisa, they are here with their husbands and with all of our grandchildren, john mark, henley, lucy, haven, and one yet

to be named, one on the way, who have brought me and kimberly an immense amount of joy. not one of us here in congress could last a day without our staffs. and so i want to thank all of those who spend and have spent long days and long nights in my office serving south dakotaians and the american people. finally, mr. president, i thank god who has richly blessed me in every way. as it says in the scriptures, from him, through him, and for him are all things to him be the glory forever. amen. mr. president, i yield the floor. [applause] mr. schumer: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator democratic leader. mr. schumer: first, let me concur on the remarks made about

the tragedies made in minority leaders and on the -- in new orleans and the west coast. i also want to say a word about jimmy carter. last week america mourned the loss of one of the most decent public servants we have ever seen. he was a living embodiment of leadership through compassion and through a thursday for -- thirst for just for all. we will have have much to say about this inspiring american. it is rare someone leaves the presidency only to build his legacy to even higher levels as president carter did. that is a testament to how rare a person he was, he had tireless efforts alongside his wife for habitat for humanity. we pray for his family.

we pray for his loved ones. and may his memory be a blessing and enduring reminder of with what it means to truly serve. now, mr. president, first, welcome to all of my colleagues to the 119th congress. i hope everyone had a blessed and happy start to the new year, full of families and loved ones. i was lucky enough to have just that. today, the senate begins a new chapter in its distinguished history. we begin our work at a moment of crossroads for our country. we convened at a time of uncertainty for american democracy, for america's economy and for the future leadership of america on the world stage. these challenges we face as a nation are great and so must be our resolve. when we first begin -- let me begin by acknowledging my friend and colleague, the former republican leader, senator

mcconnell, for as long as i have served as leader, he sat across from me. it was nice to see him from there where he didn't have to get up all the time. i would like to thank him for those important occasionings when we worked together. i want to congratulate our new republican leader, john thune. we have served in the chamber for a long time. i know he is a good and decent american. someone who loves his country as we all do. i know he just became leader a moment ago so i hope he doesn't mind if i offer some unsolicited advice. the majority leader sets the tone and that tone determines, to a large extent how successful we'll be moving forward. if we look back at all the bills we passed in 2021 and 2022, most of them originated in the senate

because both parties found ways to reach across the aisle. i want to work with the new republican leader to keep that bipartisan streak going in the new year. i don't expect we'll agree on everything or even many things, but there will be opportunities to improve the lives of the american people if we're willing to work together. today i congratulate leader thune and look forward to serving alongside him in the 119th congress. let me also congratulate all of our returning colleagues who have just taken their oaths of office. it's a great honor to serve in this chamber with you. our work has a potential to create prosperity for millions of americans people if we do our jobs right. i challenge our new members, as our new colleagues to make the mogs of the -- most of the next six years, it will go faster than you think. on the democratic side, it

brings me joy and excitement to welcome our new colleagues. i spent the last year or so getting to know every single one of them as candidates and see them raise their hands and take the oath fills us with pride. every time democrats welcome new members to our caucus, it is an exciting day. i'm particularly excited to get to work with this uniquely talented new class. i expect we will accomplish many good things for the american people. this class is distinct in two ways, they are not only experienced, but many of them are making history by taking the oath of office. i would like to welcome senator rubin gallego, he arrives as a legislator, he served our country as a member of the u.s. marine corps, served the people of arizona as a long-time member

of the house. now the people of arizona have a hispanic senator representing them for the first time ever. from the state of delaware, i would like to welcome lisa blunt rochester. many of us know her well because like many of our new colleagues she was a member of the house. five of the six new members were in the house. she climbed up the house to become assistant whip while serving on centering and commerce. like other history making members of our class, she is the first woman and first person of color ever to represent delaware in the senate. let me welcome our new colleague from maryland, senator alsobrooks, she was the first woman elected as the top law enforcement officer in the county where she grew up in. she has stood up for victims of

abuse and violence and helping americans. and she is now the first african american senator ever to serve from the state of maryland frment the state of -- from the state of michigan, we are excited to welcome alyssa livestock inn, she -- liveslock she served in the cia under president bush and in the department of defense under president obama. i would like to acknowledge two more colleagues who have taken their oesdzs because -- oaths because serve special recognition, senator schiff and senator kim. senator schiff is a well-known hered to many of us -- well known here to many of us. finally, last, but not least, i

would like to congratulate our newest colleague from new jersey, senator kim. he was a long-time leader in the house, top expect in diplomat. so to our new colleagues, we say welcome. we're excited to work with you. we're ready to help you. as you find your bearings, we urge you never to lose sight of the great responsibility you carry as a member of this body. now, the election is behind us. it's time to look to the future. now begins the hard work, the important work, the solemn work of rewarding the trust the people have placed in us. soon the new administration will be sworn into office, but for the first time in a long time, the next president will be someone we've seen before. president-elect trump will return to the oval office. in the first day of the 119th

congress, i'd like to take a moment to talk about how senate democrats will approach the next two years. it can be summarized like this. democrats stand united, not because of who we fight against but because of who we are fighting for, the american people. we are here ready to fight for the american people. we are here to fight for the working class of this country. we are here to build ladders of opportunity to the middle class. democrats aren't monolitsdz. we come from many different states and have different opinions. but we grew up in places -- we grew up in places as varied as brooklyn, new york or atlanta, ga or the west coast and everywhere in between. we sometimes disagree as every

tight-knit family disagrees. but democrats are united when it comes to fighting for working americans and working families. in the months to come, democrats will show where our values lie, through our actions and words and through the policies we push in this chamber. democrats are here to tackle the biggest problems that face our country. democrats are here because we need to make housing more affordable for the millions struggling to keep a roof over their heads. make sure that americans make higher paychecks. democrats are here because we want to lower the cost of child care, outrageously high expense for many american families. democrats are here to defend a woman's right to choose, to defend our fundamental liberties, to defend the well spring of democracy. we want to help our small

business owners thrive. we want to help americans save more money when they go to the grocery store, when they go to the pharmacy, when they pay their cable and internet bill. we want to make sure americans aren't ripped off by giant corporations through hidden fees. democrats stand ready to make lives better for the american people. we want to work with anyone and hold the line when necessary to achieve that goal. mr. president, the time to get to work is now. it's a new day, a new congress and democrats stand united and ready to fight and deliver for the american people. i yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum. the president pro tempore: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

the clerk: ms. alsobrooks. quorum call:

wilderville. johnson. lucas. johnson. littrell. johnson. lynch. jeffries. johnson. mckenzie. johnson. magaziner. jeffries. johnson malloy.

johnson. man. johnson. jeffries for it. hammer. [inaudible conversations] johnson. jeffries. jeffries. mcbride. jeffries. johnson. mclean. johnson. mclean delaney. jeffries.

jeffries. johnson. jeffries. mccormick. johnson. jeffries. mcdowell. johnson. jeffries. mcgovern. johnson menendez johnson.

west virginia. johnson. johnson. mills. johnson. jeffries. johnson. johnson. north carolina.

johnson. jeffries. moran. johnson. jeffries. jeffries. jeffries did johnson. nadler.

jeffries. johnson. newhouse. johnson. norman. jordan. cortez. jeffries. south dakota.

the senator majority leader. mr. thune: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent the quorum call be suspended. the president pro tempore: without objection. mr. thune: mr. president -- the president pro tempore: the chair lays before the senate a communication of the secretary of the senate regarding a message from the president received during the adjournment of the senate. you may proceed. the clerk: dear mr. president, on monday, december 23, 2024, the president of the united states sent by messenger the attached sealed envelope addressed to the president of the senate, dated december 23, 2024, said to contain a message from the president on his objections to s. 4199, an act to authorize additional district judges for the district courts and convert temporary judgeships, which he returns without his signature. the senate not being in session on the day which the president delivered the message, i

accepted the message at 4:45 p.m. and i now present to you the president's message with the accompanying papers for disposition by the senate, respectfully, sonceria ann berry, secretary of the senate mr. thune: i ask unanimous consent that the veto message on s. 4199 be considered as having been read and spread in full upon the journal and that it be printed in the record. the president pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. thune: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of s. con. res. 3, which is at the desk. the president pro tempore: the clerk will report. the clerk: senate concurrent resolution 3, authorizing the use of the rotunda of the capitol for the lying in state of the remains of the late james earl carter jr., 39th president of the united states. the president pro tempore: is there objection to proceeding with this question? without objection. so ordered.

mr. thune: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to, and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening motion or debate. the president pro tempore: is there any question about going to this? without objection. so ordered. mr. thune: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today it stand adjourned until 12:00 p.m., monday, january 6, that following the prayer and pledge, the journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, the senate be in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak for up to ten minutes each, and the senate stand in recess subject to the call of the chair at 12:40 p.m. to then proceed as a body to the hall of the house of representatives under provisions of s. con. res. 2 for the counting of the electoral ballots. further, that upon dissolution of the joint session, the senate reconvene and be in a period of

morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. the president pro tempore: without objection, so ordered. mr. thune: members should plan to gather in the chamber at 12:40 to proceed to the house for the electoral certification. if there is no further business to come before the senate, i ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order. the president pro tempore: the senate will stand adjourned until 12:00 noon, january 6. adurn: a

brief session hope session help to official in the 118th. take you live now to the floor of the senate. let us pray. our father in heaven mama a time when the dawning of the new year brings solidity. we continue to acknowledge are still one stretches out the story curtain of the senate. may your name be checked holy.

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